[DISCONTINUED] Cannibal Society (Hermitcraft AU)

Chapter 4

Doc tapped his fingers on the plastic surface of his sleek cushioned chair, his metal augments creating a rather loud clicking sound. His eye glowed brightly in the dim office, and he was staring at the colorful cityscape of the High Districts right behind X.

"I can't alter the formula. Not again." Doc finally spoke up in the silence.

X turned his head slightly. "You will, Doc."

"The goal is to sustain ourselves, not to kill ourselves for the sake of gourmet." he replied immediately, straightening up from his slouched posture. "We only lost a quarter of our meat. We could surely last for one straight month with rationed distribution of meat."

"The people won't be happy."

"We protect them from the scoundrels down below and the desert outside!"

"They paid to be here."

"And the things we do here is for them to survive!"

"The last time we had a shortage, the High Districts were ready to storm the Council and take us and our families as their dinners. The people expect a formula change to get them through this month... unless you want to be expelled down to the Lower Districts. I'm pretty sure the rats would be eager to get their hands on you, an elite."

The steady look on X's face as well as his firm tone made Doc clench his jaw. He took a deep breath, before standing up and delivering a tight-lipped smile at the president, who only leaned over his desk to turn off the lamp.

He turned and saw his assistant waiting right outside the office, busy with his tablet. He closed the doors behind him, walking down the carpeted hallway where the helmed guards at the other end put their rifles down by their sides, averting their gaze down on the floor as he walked past.

"Phone." Doc said as he held his hand out to his assistant as they walked out into the atrium of the compound, approaching the glass elevator in the middle.

The assistant fumbled with his pockets for Doc's phone, putting it in his waiting hand. They got into the elevator and the assistant pressed the button for him as he dialled a number, pressing the phone to his ear.

"The rumors." he began. "What about it?"

~~~~×ק××~~~~

"Why the sudden scan, love?" the lady in the infirmary asked as Tango looked at the result on the screen mounted onto the wall, a green box summarising the findings at the bottom.

"Mandatory, I guess?" Tango replied with a slight shrug.

She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Sure." she turned away, pressing a few more buttons on her computer. "We usually don't scan newcomers."

He only laughed nervously. The lady stared a bit at something on her screen, and when Tango thought she had seen something incriminating, she broke her reverie with a smile, closing down her device. "Well, I'm Stress. Come by the medbay anytime if you aren't feeling good."

"Well, thanks! I'm T—"

"Tango. Tango Tek." she finished. "Got your profile right here from the city database."

He blinked. Um.

She continued on with the same bright smile. "Makes it easier for us to determine whether you had past complications. We don't have to remake our medical records when the city has it all!"

Tango blanked out for a while. Do medical records show occupation?

"Hey, Goldilocks."

He was jolted out of his trance by Iskall's neutral call, yet there was an underlying antagonism to it. He turned to find him leaning by the door.

"We need to discuss something."

Tango had to bite back his urge to sigh. He was very uncomfortable with the situation he's suddenly thrust in.

~~~~×ק××~~~~

Hey, I'm not dead.

Lmao well, funny story. Turns out, senior high is a pain in the ass! Who would've thought?!

I at least have some of my senses back. I'm writing a new chapter so maybe we'll see each other next week lmao